Director of K

Job Description

Position Overview

KIPP Nashville Public Schools is committed to providing a college preparatory literacy education to all students, and operating in line with the national ONE KIPP strategy to drive literacy achievement. The Director of K-8 Literacy plays a critical role in realizing this mission by providing schools with high-quality curriculum and assessment materials that are vertically aligned across grade levels and aligned with the national KIPP network best practices, ensuring that every KIPP Nashville student is ready to matriculate into rigorous high school literacy courses.

Key Responsibilities:

Responsibilities of the Director of K-8 Literacy include, but are not limited to:

Vision Setting

Invest leaders, teachers, students, and families in KIPP Nashville's literacy vision

In collaboration with regional academic leaders and school-based leaders, continually refine KIPP Nashville's vision for academic excellence

Change Management

Internalize the current + future literacy curriculum materials and assessments

Build investment from Assistant Principals (APs) and teachers around what excellence looks like in a literacy lesson

Ensure literacy teachers are well-trained and supported for the current curriculum

Develop a cohesive and strategic rollout plan to ensure schools and teachers are ready to implement Fishtank in SY25-26

Ensuring alignment to ONE KIPP through implementation of content-specific arcs throughout the school year

Curriculum Frameworks

Create and support the rollout plan of regional supports for the literacy curriculum

Create and manage the K-8 literacy curricula, including scope and sequences, daily aims, and lesson resources

Ensure curriculum alignment to TN state standards

Set the assessment vision for K-8 literacy, including testing calendar and grading deadlines

Collaborate with the KIPP high school English department chairs to ensure vertical alignment between K-8 and 9-12 curricula and instructional approaches.

Assessment and Data-Driven Instruction

Write and/or edit assessments for K - 8, including quizzes, end of modules, and interim assessments

Analyze assessment data and use it to drive action with APs

Prepare data for, and participate in, regional Academic Progress Monitoring meetings

Support teachers and leaders in analyzing assessment data

Professional Development

Plan and lead summer PD to launch shared vision and build teacher toolkit

Plan and lead shared PD during the year to support ongoing teacher execution

Set the vision for literacy internalizations, including protocols and schedules

Lead a weekly content internalization meeting for a specific elementary and middle school grade band

Develop literacy content leaders by observing internalizations and providing feedback

Co-observe with APs monthly to drive alignment of execution

Observe instructional practices in schools to identify and address curriculum design and professional development gaps.